SC22/WG20 N566R
Date: June 30, 1998
Business plan and convenor's report:
ISO/IEC JTC1 SC22/WG20 - INTERNATIONALIZATION
PERIOD COVERED:
June 1997 - June 1998
SUBMITTED BY:
Convenor WG20
Arnold F. Winkler
Unisys B203-14
2476 Swedesford Road
Malvern, PA 19355
Tel: 610-648-2055
Fax: 610-695-5473
E-mail: Arnold.Winkler@unisys.com
1. MANAGEMENT SUMMARY
1.1 SCOPE
Identification of elements relevant to the work of SC22 that may be affected by differences in language, culture, customs and habits; and for these elements, develop standards that enable applications to be portable across differing cultural practices; and develop a Technical Report that describes a framework for nations to provide those elements
1.2 PROJECTS UNDERWAY
Project number
Description
Editors
22.13 (completed)
Second edition of TR 10176: "Guidelines for the preparation of programming language standards"
Akio Kido and Makoto Noda
22.30.01 (completed)
TR 11017: "Framework for internationalization"
T.K. Sato
22.30.02.01 (umbrella project - no standard associated)
Functionality of the internationalization of applications
Keld Simonsen
22.30.02.02
ISO/IEC 14651: International string ordering
Alain LaBonté
22.30.02.03
ISO/IEC 14652: Specification of Cultural Conventions
Keld Simonsen
22.15435
ISO/IEC 15435: Internationalization API
Keld Simonsen
1.3 For details see later discussion of projects.
2. PERIOD REVIEW
2.1 MARKET REQUIREMENTS
WG20 believes that through the proliferation of PCs and the world wide web, internationalization has become a very important factor in the creation of programs and thus all programming languages.
3. Membership of SC22/WG20
3.1 Liaisons and representatives to and from SC22/WG20
3.1.1 Liaisons from WG20
Liaison from WG20 Organization Subject
Arnold Winkler SC2/WG2 Character Sets
Keld Simonsen SC22/WG15 POSIX
Miles Ellis SC22/WG5 Fortran
Keld Simonsen SC22/WG14 C
Keld Simonsen SC22/WG21 C++
Alain LaBonté GUIDE/SHARE-Europe I18n
Keld Simonsen CEN TC 304 I18n, character set technology
Alain LaBonté SC35 User System Interface
Keld Simonsen TC37/SC2/WG3 Alphabetic ordering
3.1.2 Liaisons to WG20
Liaison to WG20 Organization Subject
Arnold Winkler SC2/WG2 Character Sets
Keld Simonsen SC22/WG15 POSIX
Ann Wallace SC22/WG4 COBOL
Miles Ellis SC22/WG5 Fortran
Jim Melton SC32/WG3 SQL (see requests to SC22)
Keld Simonsen SC22/WG14 C
Keld Simonsen SC22/WG21 C++
Alain LaBonté GUIDE/SHARE-Europe I18n
Þorvarður Ólafsson CEN TC 304 I18n, character set technology
Keld Simonsen CEN TC 304 I18n, character set technology
Keld Simonsen SC22/WG22 PCTE
note: CEN TC 304 is now called European Localization Requirements
3.1.3 Liaison requests
SC22/WG20 wants to establish liaisons with the Unicode consortium and the newly formed SC35 on user interfaces. See request section at the end of the report.
3.1.4 Representatives
None at this moment.
Note: Co-operation with CEN may require official representatives for both directions.
3.2 Meetings of SC22/WG20
1 November 1991 Sunnyvale USA
2 April 1992 Paris France
3 October 1992 Québec Canada
4 April 1993 Copenhagen Denmark
5 October 1993 Tokyo Japan
6 April 1994 Oxford United Kingdom
7 October 1994 Cupertino USA
8 May 1995 Paris France
9 September 1995 Copenhagen Denmark
10 April 1996 Kyoto Japan
11 September 1996 Vienna Austria
12 Spring 1997 Québec Canada
13 November 1997 Cairo Egypt
14 June 1998 Dublin Ireland
planned meetings:
15 October 1998 Tel Aviv Israel
16 Spring 1999 Malvern USA
17 Fall 1999 Copenhagen Denmark
18 Spring 2000 Québec Canada
4. Projects of SC22/WG20
4.1 Status of active projects
4.1.1 TR 11017: Framework for internationalization
a Framework for internationalization
b JTC1 22.30.01
c A type 3 Technical Report
d T. K. Sato
e The TR 11017 is being published in English and French. The project is completed.
4.1.2 Second edition of TR 10176
a Guidelines for the preparation of programming languages standards
b JTC1 22.13
c An amendment to a type 3 Technical Report
d A. Kido and M. Noda
e The TR is being published. The project is completed. Maintenance is needed due to the rapid additions to the repertoire of ISO 10646.
4.1.3 International string ordering (future ISO/IEC 14651)
a International string ordering (Method for Comparing Character Strings and Description of the Common Template Tailorable Ordering)
b JTC1 22.30.02.02
c International Standard ISO/IEC 14651
d Alain LaBonté
e SC22 Letter Ballot N2607 for FCD 14651 - ballot closed May 15, 1998 after ballot period being extended due to Australian request. Summary of voting and comments is in document SC22 N2719. Disposition of comments is being developed by the editor, based on direction from the WG20 meeting in Dublin, June 15-19, 1998. A BFN specification method is being introduced, replacing the POSIX format; all API related sections have been eliminated; a new draft is prepared and will be submitted in November 1998 for another FCD ballot.
4.1.4 Cultural convention specification standard (future ISO/IEC 14652)
a Specification [method] for cultural conventions
b JTC1.22.30.02.03
c International Standard ISO/IEC 14652
d Keld Simonsen
e SC22 Letter Ballot N2638 - FCD Approval for FCD 14652 - closed on June 4, 1998. Summary of voting and comments are in SC22 N2732. Disposition of comments is being developed by the editor, a new document will be submitted for ballot to SC22 in by the end of 1998.
Change of title is requested to read: "Specification method for cultural conventions".
4.1.5 Internationalization API standard (future ISO/IEC 15435)
a Internationalization API standard
b JTC1 22.15435
c International Standard ISO/IEC 15435
d Keld Simonsen
e A combined registration and CD ballot will be requested by the end of 1998.
4.2 Candidate projects
4.2.1 Functionality of Internationalization
a Functionality of the internationalization of applications
b JTC1 22.30.02.01
c A number of standards, see subproject descriptions below
d Keld Simonsen
e This is an umbrella project
This project is the umbrella project for the development of specific standards for functionality of the internationalization of applications, such that users can specify their cultural requirements, and obtain consistent behavior across system platforms and applications. Work is being done on the following projects:
- International string ordering (IS 14651)
- Specification method for cultural conventions (IS 14652)
- Internationalization APIs (IS 15435)
WG20 has presently no specific plans for additional projects, but is considering work on character properties of ISO 10646.
5. Conclusions and requests
5.1 Issues
5.1.1 Cultural adaptability
The JTC1 plenary has decided that WG20 shall organizationally remain in SC22, while being part of the new Technical Direction "Cultural and Linguistic Adaptability". WG20 has nominated 3 representatives to the TD planning meeting in New York.
5.1.2 Resources for standards development
The biggest issue in SC22/WG20 - as in most other standards developing organizations - is that many companies can not afford to make enough resources available for speedy development of standards. For many participants in our meetings, the meeting time is the only time they can spend on the projects. Additionally, travel budgets are tight, thus restricting the participation even further.
5.1.3 WWW home page for SC22/WG20
SC22/WG20 maintains its WWW home page.
The home page address is http://www.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC22/WG20/
The home page includes:
Introduction and explanation of SC22/WG20 activities
Important documents about it's activities
Working drafts of standards from SC22/WG20
Summary of the key SC22/WG20 documents and standards
Keld Simonsen (DKUUG) is appointed as a maintainer of the home page.
5.2 Requests to the SC22 plenary
5.2.1
Approve combined CD registration and CD consideration ballot for IS 15435 - Internationalization APIs.
5.2.2 Change of title to project 22.30.02.03:
Approve change of title from "Specification for cultural conventions" to "Specification method for cultural conventions".
5.2.3 Liaison with SQL (SC32/WG3)
Approve liaison of SC22/WG20 with SC32/WG3 - SQL. Jim Melton is the liaison from SQL.
WG20 had a long liaison relationship with SC21/WG3 for SQL related subjects. With SC21 gone, the SQL related work has been assigned to SC32/WG3 - SC32/WG3 and WG20 want to maintain the liaison relationship.
5.2.4 C-Liaison with the Unicode Consortium
Approve C-Liaison with the Unicode consortium. This liaison will support synchronisation of the ordering standards and implementation related tables for Unicode / ISO 10646. It will further enable and enhance internationalization work on character properties.
5.2.5 Liaison with SC35
Approve liaison with SC35 - new subcommittee for user interfaces. This subcommittee is in the same Technical Direction for cultural and linguistic adaptability. Both committees will benefit from each others experience and work..
End of document